Lease stadium for 'dog walking'

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The $200m new roofed Forsyth Barr stadium in Dunedin should leased for grazing or dog walking, turned into an industrial park, converted into an indoor market garden, or a massive patch for growing cannabis or opium.

A guided walk across the top of the controversial facility, or its conversion into an IMAX theatre or film studios, were also among feedback to a Dunedin City Council community consultation exercise during the past month, designed to find ideas for increasing use of the controversial facility and how to make it pay.

Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull issued a call for help in the wake of the arena's poor financial performance and the mounting ratepayer debt it has created.

The plea attracted many positive responses around the creation of new events, attracting patronage, and power saving ideas.

However, the consultation round has also unearthed persistent and vehement opposition to the facility remaining open.

Many submitters obviously still angered by the ratepayer burden it has created simply asking for it to be shut down and sold or pulled down.

The responses will be tabled by the council's Stadium Model subcommittee tomorrow.